Tables 18.15 and 18.16 show the quantity and value of selected minerals (including oil and gas) produced in Australia.

In the period 2000-01 to 2004-05 the most significant increases in production were for manganese ore (81%), leucoxene (77%) and iron ore and concentrates (42%). The steady increase in iron ore and concentrate production over this period was driven by increased production in Western Australia, which accounts for 98% of Australian production. There was also a steady increase in saleable black coal, liquefied natural gas and salt.

Production of gold, ilmenite, rutile, zinc, crude oil, lead, natural gas and diamond decreased between 2000-01 and 2004-05 with the largest falls recorded for crude oil (37%), ilmenite (27%) and rutile (23%). Diamond production changed significantly during the period with an increase of 51% in 2002-03 followed by decreases in 2003-04 and 2004-05 of 17% and 30% respectively.

The largest increases in percentage terms in the value of minerals production in the period 2000-01 to 2004-05 were for manganese ore (127%) and iron ore and concentrate (67%). The increase in iron ore and concentrate was also the second largest in dollar terms ($3,329m) behind saleable black coal ($6,139m). The most significant decrease in percentage terms was for zinc (27%).

18.16 Mineral commodities produced, Value

2000-01

2001-02

2002-03

2003-04

2004-05

Percentage change from 2000-01 to 2004-05

$m

$m

$m

$m

$m

$m

Metallic minerals

Bauxite

891

986

782

817

862

-3.3

Copper (metal content)

2 928

2 509

2 260

2 542

3 777

29.0

Gold (metal content)

4 318

4 679

5 046

4 731

4 635

7.3

Iron ore and concentrate

5 001

5 235

5 298

5 359

8 330

66.6

Lead (metal content)

617

623

502

654

830

34.5

Nickel (metal content)

2 278

2 034

2 528

3 139

3 613

58.6

Silver (metal content)

562

544

490

530

666

18.5

Uranium oxide

493

378

308

382

463

-6.1

Zinc (metal content)

2 544

1 969

1 778

1 649

1 852

-27.2

Fuel minerals

Black coal (saleable)(a)

11 579

14 525

12 724

11 566

17 718

53.0

Brown coal

520

533

534

531

843

62.1

Crude oil

10 314

8 415

7 888

6 721

8 518

-17.4

Condensate

2 189

1 868

2 207

1 925

3 008

37.4

Natural gas

2 210

2 245

2 250

2 380

2 445

10.6

LNG

2 696

2 971

3 131

2 776

3 782

40.3

Industrial minerals

Diamonds

633

506

788

520

467

-26.2

Salt

264

273

260

211

239

-9.5

Ilmenite

np

np

np

np

np

np

Synthetic rutile

409

385

354

307

334

-18.3

Leucoxene

18

19

16

20

22

22.2

Rutile

np

np

np

np

np

np

Zircon

np

np

np

np

np

np

Manganese ore

211

267

275

282

478

126.5

np not available for publication but included in totals where applicable, unless otherwise indicated

Export earnings of minerals, (including oil and gas) from the Australian resources sector rose to $91 billion (b) in 2005-06, an increase of $22b on the previous year. The resources sector covering minerals and energy production includes some commodities which are processed outside the Mining industry (as defined by ANZSIC).

Tables 18.18 and 18.19 shows the quantity and value of the main mineral commodities exported from Australia. In 2005-06, black coal (including coking and steaming) was the largest export earner ($24b), followed by iron ore and pellets ($13b), refined gold ($7b), crude oil and other refinery feedstock ($7b), copper ($6b), alumina ($5b) and aluminium ($5b).

Graph 18.20 shows the value of Australia's four largest mineral exports during the period 1998-99 to 2005-06. Exports of black coal, iron ore and pellets, and crude oil and other refinery feedstock have been growing over this period with crude oil and other refinery feedstock recording the largest increase (254%) followed by iron ore and pellets (234%) and black coal (162%). Refined gold increased 13% for the same period. The increases for black coal exports in 2000-01, 2004-05 and 2005-06 were due to an increase in unit values of coking and steaming coal exports. A similar peak was observed for the export of crude oil occurring in 2000-01. Over the five years following this peak the export values of crude oil and other refinery feedstock fell by more than $1b.

The major markets for Australian mineral and oil exports were Japan, China, the Republic of (South) Korea, India and Singapore in the period 1990-91 to 2005-06 (graph 18.21).

Japan was consistently the main destination for Australian minerals receiving 28% ($24b) of total mineral exports in 2005-06. The main minerals exported to Japan were aluminium, coal, copper ores and concentrate, iron ore and pellets, crude oil and other refinery feedstock, LNG and LPG. Of this, coal was the most significant. In 2005-06, 59 megatonnes (Mt) of steaming coal and 44 Mt of coking coal were exported to Japan (54% and 37% respectively of total Australian exports for these commodities). In the same year, 2,201 megalitres (ML) of crude oil and other refinery feedstock, 2,142 ML of LPG and 72,313 kilotonne (kt) of iron ore and pellets were also exported to this country. These exports respectively accounted for 17%, 77% and 30% of Australia's total exports of crude oil and other refinery feedstock, LPG and iron ore and pellets. Aluminium and copper concentrate exports to Japan contributed 34% and 24% respectively of total exports for each commodity.

Other major export destinations in 2005-06 were China, the Republic of (South) Korea, India and Singapore. After Japan, the Republic of (South) Korea was the main market for Australia's black coal with steaming coal amounting to 20Mt (18% of total steaming coal exported). Other major exports to the Republic of (South) Korea included iron ore and pellets, lead concentrate, lead refined, crude oil and other refinery feed stock and zinc ore which accounted for 10%, 26%, 10%, 21% and 28% respectively of export totals. Singapore was a major market for Australian crude oil and other refinery feedstock, importing 3,110 ML in 2005-06, 24% of the total volume exported.

China has become a major export destination for iron ore and pellets, lead concentrate and LPG accounting for 52%, 50% and 14% respectively of total exports for these commodities.

Exports to India have been increasing since 1990-91 with a sharp increase between 2002-03 and 2003-04 (107%). Gold exports to India accounted for 40% (127 tonnes) of Australian exports of gold in 2005-06.

Many imported mineral and petroleum commodities have had a certain amount of manufacturing applied to their raw forms. Table 18.22 provides details of the major commodities imported in the period 2002-03 to 2005-06. In terms of value, the largest imports for 2005-06 were for crude oil and other refinery feedstock ($13b), followed by other refinery products ($9b). The major sources of Australian imports of crude oil and other refinery feedstock were Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam with a combined value of $7.8b (61% of the total import value for this commodity).

Graph 18.23 shows imports of selected major minerals and petroleum during the period 1999-2000 to 2005-06. The imports of crude oil and other refinery feedstock were significantly larger than the imports of other minerals particularly in 2004-05 and 2005-06. While the volumes of imports of crude oil and other refinery feedstock fluctuated over the period 1999-2000 to 2005-06, the large changes in the value of imports were mainly due to significant unit value rises in 2000-01, 2004-05 and 2005-06.